Desk-support



(No Model.)

P. W. 'TOBEY. DESK SUPPORT.

Patented Feb. 25, 1896;

W, M [WW l UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED \V. TOBEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

DESK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,293, dated February 25, 1896. Application filed uly 8, 1895. Serial No. 555,193. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED \V. TOBEY, a resident of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Desk-Support, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete description, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to understand, make, and use the same.

The invention relates to the kind of desks having a hinged front designed to be turned down and form a table or a part of a table when the desk is opened for use and to be turned up and form a front closing the desk when such desk is not in use; and the object of the invention is to obtain means for maintaining the front in a horizontal, or substantially so, position when turned down, so that the desk may be used, such support being automatic in its action and permitting the front to be turned up to close the desk in precisely the same manner as if such support were not attached to the desk.

Another and important object of the invention is to obtain a desk-support of the kind named which will be pleasing in appearance, satisfactory in its working, easy of attachment, simple in construction, of few parts or pieces, and of small cost.

In the drawings referred to, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a desk with thefront thereof closed and having a desk-support embodying my invention attached thereto, such desksupport being shown in elevation; Fig. 2, a like sectional view as Fig. 1, with the front open and with the desk-support embodying my invention holding the front in a horizontal position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a desk having my device attached thereto with the front open and supported in a horizontal position thereby, and Fig. at an end elevation of a stop forming an element in the device.

A letter of reference applied to a given part is used to designate such part throughout the several views of the drawings wherever such part appears.

A is a desk, and a the horizontal table thereof.

B is the front of desk A, attached to the desk by hinges. Z2 is a hinge attaching front B to desk A.

C is a short headless bolt having a slot in one end thereof and having screw-threads on the periphery, such bolt being secured to front B by turning it into a circular recess made by an auger or other tool.

D is a straight bar pivotally attached to headless bolt 0 by being put in the slot in such bolt and having pin (Z extended through the bolt and bar.

E is a hole or opening in table a, through which the bar D extends when the front B is closed, fitting loosely therein.

6 is a groove in table a, and bar D fits in such groove when the front B is open or down.

6'' is a groove in front B, corresponding with groove 6, and forming, when the front B is down, an extension thereof.

F is a stop having foot or flange f and attached to the desk A by screws f f.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that the bar D is of such length that when front B is down-that is, in a substantially horizontal positionthe bar may lie horizontally, the inner end thereof being in the opening E. This is particularly well illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be observed, further, that the opening E is sufficiently long so that as the front B is raised the inner end of bar D may extend a short distance inward, as well as downward, without coming in contact with the inner wall of such opening,while such opening, or so much thereof as is not occupied by the bar D, is covered by the stop F when front B is closed.

When constructed as described, the front B being in a horizontal position, or substantially so, the bar D is also in a horizontal position in the grooves e c, with the inner end of such bar D underneath the foot f of stop F, and there held. Thereby the front B is maintained in a horizontal position.

I have illustrated and described but one end of a desk with a device embodying my invention attached thereto; but when desired (and usually) to each end of the desk a like device is attached.

The position of the bar D is well illustrated in Fig. 1 in the position it assumes when the front B is closed.

The groove e in table a may be omitted provided the bar D is formed into substantially the shape of bar D, (indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2,) as in such case the part of such bar D on table a may rest on the top of the table, and both the groove 6 and the groove 6' may be omitted if the bar D (indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2) be sub stituted for bar D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a desk having a front hinged thereto, of a headless bolt having a slot in one end thereof and a straight bar pivotally secured in the slot, a stop having a foot thereto secured to the desk over the table thereof, such table having an open in g therethrough in which the bar loosely fits when the front is closed, and such table and front having grooves therein in which the bar extends when the front is in a horizontal position, with the inner end of the bar under neath the stop; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a desk having a front hinged thereto, of a headless bolt havstautially horizontal position; substantially as described.

FRED \V. TOBEY.

In presence of- OARLETON A. AUsTIN, D. O. LAMOREAUX. 

